"the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide." - CCC 2267
Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to participants gathered at DePaul University in Chicago for the 15th anniversary of Illinois' abolition of the death penalty. The Holy Father's address drew on the Church's consistent teaching that the dignity of every human person must be protected at every stage of life, including at its end.